Mayor to head “SA to DC” trip Monday

Mayor Ivy Taylor will lead a San Antonio delegation of more than 130 people to Washington on Monday for a four-day trip to advance city issues, including building up the city’s cybersecurity industry.

The trip will be the 38th annual “SA to DC” delegation organized mainly by the San Antonio and San Antonio Hispanic chambers of commerce.

The group will be addressed by U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday evening. “We’ll leave the topic up to him. He’ll tell us what will happen in Congress this year and beyond,” said Richard Perez, San Antonio Chamber CEO and president.

Another trip highlight will be a national cybersecurity panel discussion organized by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio.

“We will learn how to capitalize on being the nation’s second-largest cluster in the cybersecurity industry outside of the nation’s capital. We think there are opportunities there,” Perez said.

Maintaining ties with the Pentagon always is on the “SA to DC” agenda, Perez said. “This year we want to strengthen opportunities to bring more work here. We want Port San Antonio to be a viable place for maintenance, repair and overhaul (aircraft) contracts,” Perez said.

Bringing new direct airline routes to San Antonio and keeping existing ones will be another priority. Perez said the San Antonio Chamber will work on attracting new U.S. flights.

San Antonio Hispanic Chamber CEO and President Ramiro Cavazos said members of his chamber will visit Mexico’s U.S. Embassy to discuss new Mexico routes. A new direct flight to and from Querétaro is possible, he said.

Taylor will visit with officials at the Washington embassies of Spain and Namibia, Cavazos said, to advance plans for her visits to those countries later this year.

Taylor is leading a Hispanic Chamber trade mission to Spain, including the Canary Islands, on May 21-28, and participate in another to Namibia in the fall.

Hispanic Chamber members also will meet with U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet about expanding SBA programs in San Antonio, Cavazos said.

Other issues to be discussed during the trip are the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact with 12 nations, water, transportation, immigration and prison reform, Perez and Cavazos said.

Cavazos added: “It’s a political year. We need to make progress on some issues.”

David Hendricks joined the San Antonio Express-News in February 1976 after receiving a bachelor of journalism degree in December 1975 from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1981, he obtained a master's degree in English literature from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He worked seven years on various beats for the Metro desk before working in 1983 at the Express-News Capitol Bureau in Austin, returning to San Antonio later that year and joining the business section. Hendricks was business editor from 1986 to 1992 and started his business column in 1989. His column now appears twice a week. He also covers international business, chambers of commerce and CC Media Holdings Inc. Hendricks also contributes classical music concert reviews, book reviews and travel articles. He is married to Lucila Hendricks. They have a daughter, Emily.